Ralph Welch
Encyclopedia
W. Ralph "Pest" Welch was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Washington
from 1942 to 1947, compiling a record of 27–20–3. Welch led his 1943 Washington squad to the Rose Bowl
, where they lost to USC, 29–0. He played college football
at Purdue University
as a halfback
under head coach James Phelan, whom he followed to Washington as an assistant in 1930.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
from 1942 to 1947, compiling a record of 27–20–3. Welch led his 1943 Washington squad to the Rose Bowl
1944 Rose Bowl
The 1944 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1944, was a college football bowl game, the 30th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured two teams from the Pacific Coast Conference, due to the travel restrictions imposed by the war effort. This game determines the champion of the Pacific Coast Conference for...
, where they lost to USC, 29–0. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
as a halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
under head coach James Phelan, whom he followed to Washington as an assistant in 1930.